DESCRIPTION: The overall goal of the program is to develop molecular biology skills necessary to continue as an independent researcher in the field of craniofacial wound healing. The investigator has an established interest in defining the molecular basis of scarless wound healing. The research plan involves laboratory research activities addressing the problem of scarless wound healing. Four aims are proposed: 1) to isolate, clone, and sequence genes that are over-expressed in scarless-healing wounds compared to scar-wounds in the rat model of fetal wound healing ("scarless repair-specific" genes); 2) to obtain the full-length cDNAs of genes that are differentially expressed in fetal scarless wounds compared with postnatal scar wounds, unwounded fetal skin, and unwounded postnatal skin; 3) to identify and locate the cells expressing scarless repair-specific genes within scarless fetal rat wounds; and 4) to determine the effects of over-expression and under-expression of a scarless repair-specific gene on fetal and postnatal fibroblasts. A long-term goal is to apply these skills to gene therapy for the treatment of craniofacial defects. A laboratory research focus will be enhanced by formal courses in the biological sciences and statistics. An ethics for health providers course will also be included. As well, the applicant will attend the Workshop in Clinical Research at UCLA. Finally, the applicant will spend 15 to 20 percent of time treating patients.